Govt plans model digitalized hospitals across districts for ease, efficiency

The National Health Authority is promoting hospital digitization through model centres that will use QR-based registration and link patient records, prescriptions, diagnostics and pharmacy services. 

New Delhi: India is looking to reduce long queues, paperwork and the tension of missing medical records at hospitals by setting up model digitalized healthcare facilities across the country. The National Health Authority (NHA) plans to develop two such "champion" centres in each district—one government-run and another private—that other hospitals can study and replicate, according to an official familiar with the plan.

India has about 1.2 million healthcare facilities, and nearly 99 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (Abha), which are 14-digit healthcare IDs that allow people to link, access and share their medical records electronically through digital lockers. The records can be shared with doctors through consent-based access, reducing duplication of tests, assisting during emergencies, and speeding up hospital registrations.

To take the model beyond Tripura, the NHA has laid out a phased implementation framework, identifying 38 districts across 35 states and Union Territories to lead the rollout.

An interoperable ecosystem

The government had rolled out the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission nationwide in September 2021 to build an interoperable digital healthcare ecosystem, bridging the gap between hospitals, clinics, diagnostic labs, and pharmacies across the country.

“The NHA has released a guidebook alongside a phased implementation framework to steer hospitals through the overhaul, outlining standard steps from patient entry to discharge," the official familiar with the matter said. "Under this operational framework, 38 designated model districts across 35 states and Union Territories have been nominated to drive end-to-end digital adoption across all local health centers.”

As part of the plan, the NHA has set strict compliance benchmarks for states, requiring participating centres to achieve over 95% Abha saturation among visiting patients and 100% onboarding of local doctors and clinics onto the national healthcare professionals registry and the health facility registry.

To replicate the Tripura model, the NHA's operational checklist in the guidebook mandates that facilities maintain dedicated, stable internet connectivity and functional hardware across all counters, while establishing integrated digital loops connecting electronic health records, nursing stations, diagnostic laboratories, and in-house pharmacy dispensing systems, the official said.

State mission directors have been directed to oversee local rollout, track hospital performance against key operational metrics, and manage stakeholder engagement to meet program timelines.

Queries on the initiative emailed to the health ministry remained unanswered until press time.

Initiative welcomed

The industry welcomed the initiative as a significant step towards making healthcare more accessible, efficient and patient-centric.

Abhishek Trigunait, co-founder and managing director at Improzo, an artificial intelligence and data solutions company focused on life sciences said, “Its real impact will be felt at the ground level, where QR-based registrations, digitised prescriptions, diagnostic reports and interoperable health records can substantially reduce patient waiting time, paperwork and duplication of tests."

This initiative can strengthen India’s digital healthcare infrastructure and create a strong foundation for AI-led, data-driven healthcare delivery, improving both clinical efficiency and patient outcomes, he added.

Dr Vikram Thaploo, chief exectuve at Apollo TeleHealth said digital transformation must go beyond digitizing paperwork. It should integrate registration, medical records, diagnostics, prescriptions and follow-up care into a seamless workflow.

“Interoperable, consent-based health records can help doctors make informed decisions, reduce repeat tests and improve continuity of care. Equally important is embedding these systems into hospital operations, supported by trained staff, connectivity, data security and patient awareness," he said. "The success of these facilities will depend on measurable improvements in patient experience and health outcomes, while offering a scalable blueprint for adoption.”

About the Author

Priyanka Sharma is a journalist at Mint, where she covers the Union Ministry of Health and the pharmaceutical industry. Her work focuses on explaining government policies and how they impact healthcare and the medicine market in India. With 12 years of experience in journalism, she has built a reputation for providing clear and honest news on important health topics that affect the entire country.<br><br>Her educational background includes a journalism degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) and specialized training in public health from the Public Health Foundation of India. Before her current role at Mint, Priyanka worked with India Today, The Pioneer, and ANI. She also served as a lead consultant for the National Health Authority, which gave her firsthand knowledge of how the government manages large-scale health programmes.<br><br>Priyanka is based in New Delhi and is an avid traveller who loves visiting the mountains. She has a great interest in regional flavours, particularly South Indian food.